Matrescence
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
May 14, 2018
Just hearing the words “Mother’s Day” and I feel this knot in my stomach. It’s everywhere, from radio and tv commercials to displays at Target and coffee shops. The imagery of flowers and hearts, cards and candy. So much emphasis on this day as a happy one. I can’t be the only one that feels a mix of emotions, love for my own children, yes, but also an overwhelming sense of anxiety and sadness.
Since I was a little girl I remember always wanting to be a Mom. I don’t have siblings, but I played house often and looking back it was always alone. I spent a lot of time alone. Not just because I was an only child, but because my Mom was emotionally unavailable. It wasn’t until I was an adult did I have a better understanding of the abuse I suffered, emotionally, verbally, the isolation and lack of support that led to my own challenges
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
February 21, 2018
Modern motherhood comes with an abundance of joy...and information! For one thing, we have access to seemingly unlimited resources and knowledge on how to mother “best." It seems that everyone has an opinion on how best to raise children. We are overwhelmed with choices on which bed to choose, which high chair, which feeding method, which birth method. With answers close at hand online, it doesn’t take much time to question your intuition. Don’t forget that your mommy intuition is almost a sixth sense! Mothers have relied on their intuition for millennia to protect and nourish their babies. We can still tap into that resource. Many times, having good information and tools can help us tap into that mother’s intuition more readily. I’m here to remind you not to discount your own motherly wisdom. I know personally how easy it is to second-guess my own decisions when it comes to parenting and motherhood, so today I’m sharing three tips that have helped me trust my mommy intuition:
Treat
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
February 14, 2018
Self-care and self-love receive a lot of hype these days. And in theory, these sound like a dream. But as a new mama, what is realistic? Maybe you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days. Maybe you have very little time to yourself. Maybe when someone tells you their idea of self-care is a two-hour massage or a day at the spa you feel like they’ve found some magic secret and you’re doing something wrong. In the month of February, love gets a lot of hype and attention but it’s hard to love others well if we aren’t caring for ourselves, first and foremost.
I took some time to talk with my fellow colleagues and mamas at Ergobaby that have passed through all sorts of stages of motherhood to ask them some of their favorite tips for caring for themselves as new parents. We thought we’d share some loving and realistic tips for loving thyself in the month of February.
Cut yourself some slack and don’t beat yourself up
You are doing enough. Don’t stress if the house isn’t
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
October 06, 2016
Somehow, my tiny newborn daughter has turned into a beaming and chunky six-month old (seemingly overnight). Although I mostly hate how time seems to fly right through me lately, there are so many things that I love about having a baby as opposed to a newborn. The older León gets, the more connected with her I feel. As I watch her sit and eat and growl and laugh and squeal I feel like I am finally getting to know her. It has been so much harder to bond with her because of my high energy three-year old who takes so much of my energy.
As Summer has been coming
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
August 04, 2016
[youtube]https://youtu.be/bXqI40a1XIg[/youtube]
When I was 17 years old, I felt a lump in my right breast. I had larger breasts in high school and when I mentioned it to my OB she said it was probably a fibroadenoma (a very common occurrence) but referred me to a specialist just to be safe. The specialist suggested we could do a biopsy, but because I also had several other lumps in both breasts that I should stop taking my birth control to reduce external hormones, cut down on caffeine, and we would keep an eye on it.
I was young, carefree, and felt invincible. I knew in the back of my mind everyday that the lump was there, that I should do something about it, but I wanted to live my life. I wanted to have fun. There wasn’t time to slow down, take care of myself, be responsible. Fast forward two years later, and at age 19 my tumor had grown to roughly the size of a tangerine. I
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
March 26, 2015
Clockwise: @ashleyanielson // @marylauren // @firstimefarmers // @kauilife
Here's a round up of some of our favorite mamas to follow on Instagram. We'll be doing this feature once a month and hope to share some of the inspiring women who fill our feed with beauty each day in the spirit of sharing the love in this wonderful community. We hope you enjoy! xo Dani
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
May 27, 2014
My husband and I can’t help but laugh over all the things we never thought we’d say as parents that pop out of our mouths (“What did I just tell you?” “Listen to your mother.”) We love our kids to bits, but man, is being a parent tough sometimes! In the new book All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior digs deep into this push-pull conundrum, looking at how parenting has changed over the last half century. She talked with me about some of the fascinating things she learned.
In All Joy and No Fun, you explore how, as parents today, we feel that the overall job of parenting is incredibly satisfying and fulfilling—all joy—but the day-to-day stuff completely wears us out—no fun. But you also discovered that that’s in great part because modern parents demand so much of themselves, right?
We do demand so much of ourselves! And
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
April 30, 2014
In the United States, the speed with which a mother recovers from birth and “gets her body back” is measured in weeks, not months. Magazines flaunt celebrities who lost the baby weight in just 2 weeks, dashed back to work after a mere month, while effortlessly bouncing a baby on their hip. Women are expected to return to work 6 weeks after giving birth, just as if nothing had happened. We are one of the only cultures that does not value the importance of slowing down and asking for support in the postpartum year. I would like to help change that. Here are ten tips for how you can enhance your physical, emotional and mental health in the first year after giving birth – whether this is your first or fifth baby.
Stay in Bed
As long as you can! Take all the help you can get in the first year after your baby/babies are born, and don’t feel guilty about it. A midwife I know has this rule of thumb: 1st week – in the bed, 2nd week -‐ around the bed, 3rd week around the house, 4th
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
April 03, 2014
We are honored and thrilled that three of our favorite designing mamas agreed to submit designs for our latest Design Contest! All three mamas have amazing style, taste and love of life! We're so proud to be working with them. Take a moment to get to know the lovely ladies behind the designs.
Kristina meltzer of 100 Layer Cakelet
Kristina's blog 100 Layer Cake and it's latest incarnation for families, 100 Layer Cakelet are the go-to spots for beautiful and inspiring ideas for weddings, kids' parties and family fun. This multi-talented mama is a freelance graphic designer, backyard farmer, cookbook reader, project starter, and has two gorgeous little boys. We look forward to her daily dose of beauty in everyday things and her easy, lovely California style.
We love working
Health & Wellness
Matrescence
November 20, 2013
If you’re anything like me, the holidays are a time when your boundaries lessen or—complete honesty—totally disappear. (My favorite day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast? Pumpkin pie, thank you very much.) Luckily, Mama & Baby Love’s Stephanie Brandt Cornais, mama to 4-year-old Penelope, was up for sharing a few tips on how to have a healthier, saner season.
What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions?
Last Thanksgiving was my first grain free Thanksgiving. I was worried that my family might feel deprived, but it ended up going really well. So I’m excited to do that again this year. I’m trying to think back to the first time I did a roast turkey…. It was six or seven years ago, and I remember